So how'd this work out? I see lots of consoles for sale with Homelink. What models fit well with the FJ headliner? Tacoma? Honda Odyssey? Celica? Any guidance?
This is a killer idea.
It actually worked out better than I expected. I have yet to connect the electrical elements, just haven’t had the time…work can be a real bee-ouch at times. I’m actually planning on finishing it over the extended 4th of July weekend.
As to what console works best, that’s an individual preference and based off your personal needs. I desperately needed a way to see my children in the back seat. Our 2011 Honda Pilot has a similar unit and I’ve grown accustomed to having the conversation mirror. From my research the 2006 Odyssey console seemed to meet all of my requirements; specifically I was looking for a unit that was affordable and contained Homelink, a courtesy light/LED, and a conversation mirror.
I personally recommend “Honda” because the colors are almost dead-on. Everyone who’s seen it is literally shocked when I tell them that I installed it myself and it’s from a Honda.:clap:
I’ll take a ton of photos as I connect the electrical elements and reinstall the unit.
Also, when I did my initial research into this mod, I was a little flustered by the pieces of information/details that seemed to be missing...hopefully what I post will be a nice addition to what folks have already posted. :cheers:
Are sure that there's enough depth between the headliner and the roof to mount that? Also, the FJ lights mount into the headliner for support, how are you going to mount this given that it looks as though it should screw into a support above the roof?
Yea, I was really concerned about that as well. All of my measurements indicated that the unit would protrude ~1” beyond the surface of the headliner. I’d seen photos of other installs and they all appeared flush. In nearly each instance the installer stated that they had to fabricate a bracket of sorts to force the headliner to rest flush with the unit’s edge. Most of them posted drawings that just didn’t make any sense to my limited brain-power.
As to making the cut, I have to admit that I was real apprehensive about cutting into the headliner...but after a little encouragement from Arthur Guinness I felt the risk was acceptable and went for it.:cheers::cheers::cheers:
I really took my time, I think I spend over 90 minutes just taking measurements, then making adjustments, then taking more measurements. Once I felt secure I asked Mrs. BAJA TYM to come out to the garage and take a look. She has a way of finding all of the flaws in everything I do, so I figured who better to do the final inspection. Once she got to the point where she could no longer find anything to bee-ouch about...I mean comment about, I kicked her out of the garage and referred back to Arthur Guinness’ expertis and started cutting.:cheers::cheers::cheers:
Once the section was removed and I placed the unit into place my heart dropped. It indeed protruded ~1.5” below the headliner.
I was determined to make this work, so I went to the scrap metal pile and riveted up a bracket that pushed down on the headliner from above the cutout...the bracket forced the headliner to flex to the surface of the unit. Instant factory install!
As to bolting the unit to the ceiling, the headliner is very thick, so the tension combined with the bracket actually seated the unit in place – solid as a rock! No movement whatsoever!:rocker::rocker:
This might not make sense in written form, so like I said above, I’ll post as many photos as I can and hopefully it’ll all make sense.
In the meantime, here are a couple of things I’ve thrown together that may help others out. One item is the template I created for my unit.
Just a word of caution, if anyone chooses to use it -
test fit it on cardboard before you cut your headliner - don’t come crying to me if you’re stupid enough to cut your headliner from a template some jackass made for the internet without test fitting it yourself! Also the template was designed specifically for my “2006 Odyssey” console as picture in the first post.
Let me know if the drawings don't make sense...I'll adjust them as needed. More to come soon!
:cheers:
